The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-16
JIM ARNOTT'S OATH.
He Took 1t Over the Dead Body of His
Child-Will He Keep 1t?

From the Toledo Blade.
A thin faced, hungry looking woman,
whose tattered dress scarcely covered her
nakedness, dragged herself YEARLY along st.
Clair street the other night. 1t was in the
gilded section of the street and the densof vice
and infamy were III full blast The fiddle
made discordant shrieks, and tho piano rat
tied as the woman peered into one and an
other of the vile places. BY her side was a
girl of II or Whereabouts, ragged like herself,
but with face that was beautiful, even
though tear-stained and cloud-cast.
The two walked slowly and in silence
Both seemed to have but one object in view
and that was to find some one. They would
steal carefully up to the door of a saloon
and peer cautiously through the cracks, as
If eager not to disturb the revelry within.
At one of these doors, with diamond cut
glass in front, stood a rough-ooking fellow,
who was more than "half seas over though
not too drunk to notice the couple as they
glanced anxiously through the half-open
doors.
you won't find Jim there he growled;
Il saw him going up to the bridge half an
hour ago, so get along We don't want you
around here" and with that he started to-
ward the woman as if to hurry her on her
d
from the ragged folds of her dress and said
huskily: Don't yer lay yer hands on me,
or I'll send you home, sure" With threat
Mike turned away and the woman started
again up street.
They had nearly reached the bridge when
suddenly both stopped. Their eyes had
caught sight of the one they sought. He
stood in front of the bar in a dirty looking
place. He was leaning carelessly against
l., L. Lee
In his right he held a glass of beer. He was
without coat and the red sleeves of his
shirt were scarcely of a ruddier hue than
his face, which was swelled and blOated.
He was man of large, powerful frame,
seemingly capable of doing large amount
of work with little exertion. There was
that in his eyes and in his general appear
ance which impressed one that, in spite of
the surroundings and the bad indications,
something good could come out of him. The
woman watched him full five minutes and
her eyes flashed as she saw him pay for the
drinks, not for himself, but for half dozen
other men, who were in all stages of drunk
enneSS.
Finally she turned to the girl, who was
nearly ready to cry, and, whispering few
words to her, left her standing on the side
walk and, walkingly rapidly into the sa-
loon, she made straight for the man in the
red shirt.
'Jim, | want you to come home"
The person addressed turned around and,
looking at the woman contemptuOusly, said:
What do you want of mcs What are
you doing here, anyhow" and, when he had
framed the two questions, accomplished the
displeasure evident from his looks by Selling
the woman by the arm and pushing her to-
ward the door. She turned ashy pale as the
man laid his hands upon her and then drew
her revolver, which she almost thrust in his
face. Jim" she said, her voice choking
with emotion, you must come homo with
me or / will shoot you. have worked my
self nearly TO death for you, Jim Arnott,
and instead of helping me, you steal my
earnings and come here to drink it up. We
have d babe at home and God knows it suf-
fers for want of enough to eat. Liz is out
side and the poor girl ID so faint and hungry
that she can hardly walk. Look at me! The
woman you promised 20 cherish and protect,
Jim Arnott, in rags almost to nakedness,
and without n lnouthful to eat since morn
ing. Womight have been happyif you had
let drink alone. We might be respectable
today but for your want of manhood. Come
home, say, or will shoot you, as truo as
there is God in heaven" She almost
shrieked the last words, and Jim Arnott
was not so drunk that lie could face the
glittering barrel of the revolver He NUT
tered something us a sort Of farewell to his
boon companions and then led the way out,
followed by the woman.
A Blade reporter, who had witnessed the
performance, walked after the trio.
A long distance out from the centre OF the
city the wife and daughter almost dragged
the alf-drunken man into plain single
story cottage. In a moment faint light
cleaned through the windows, which were
devoid of shutter or shade. The interior of
the room was evidence enough of the pinched
poverty which dwelt there. A deal table,
two or three rough wooden chairs, an apol-
ogy for stove, and q cot constituted the
features of the outfit. The reporter had
only time to take cursory glance through
the window, when his attention was directed
to the cot The mother had stepped up TO
it as soon as she had lighted the feeble lamp.
Her back was toward the reporter as she
STONED over the cot. But onl1 for a mo-
ment. Suddenly shs threw hel1NSids wildly
above her head, and with an agonizing cry
that would have pierced the stoutest heart,
she fell across the cot. Arnott sprang to-
ward his wife and, rough though be was,
lifted her tcnderly up. Then, for the first
time, the reporter caught {. glimpse of the
pale baby face that peeped out from the
sheet The next instant Arnott had left the
cottage and was tearing down the street. A
by doctor. They entered the cottage and
the latter walked straight to the cot, stopped
over. placed his hand over the child's heart,
withdrew it, knelt down and then placed
his err close to the infants breast. AS he
arose he turned to the anxious parents, who
were watching every movement closely, and
shook his head. Another cry from the
mother, who again threw herself on the
couch, startled tho reporter. The doctor
left the house and tho living were alone with
their dead
Il was impossible to hear what was said in
that house, but the reporter was witness to
what happened. For long time the mother
Law motionlcss across the cot, clasping the
dead body of her infant to her breast. Liz,
on the other side, was vainly endeavoring to
cot her mother up. Finally she arose and,
eoirg straight TO where her husband sat,
With his face buried in his hands, touched
him on the shoulder. Then, taking one of
his hands in her own, her tear-stained face
turned piteously toward him, she led him.
almost by sheer strength, to the cot. Then
She spoke 70 him and he knelt, she by his
side. Hc raised his right hand to heaven,
and the reporter could only see the woman's
lips as thoy moved, but the pantomime was